Refilling carbon filters

[RUFUS HOUND]

1 hour ago, Giggles said:

@RUFUS HOUND

 

Hiya mate, how did the Supa carbon work, just started getting a faint smell leaking out the extract, not sure what to use to re-fill the filter, or buy another filter.

still on the same filter mate and havent tried the refilled one yet.

 

[ipju]

So my local aquarium shop sells activated carbon that they buy in bulk directly from the producer. 30 euros for 5 kg of pellets.

 

I have a plastic Can-filter. You can easily pry open the the covered side. The side with the opening also dismantles fairly easy but leads to a dead end 

 

 

Under the lid was a thin foam ring on top of carbon pelllets, slightly smaller then the ones I´d bought. No fabric liner, just the plastic casing and plastic inner tube.

 

I put the filter on a tray and used a folded piece of paper to pour in the new pellets. Anything that spilled over the side or down the inner tube (with its opening now at the bottom) was caught in the tray. Well most of it anyway.

Filled it to the brim, gently shook it and tapped it on the floor. That made the carbon drop 1.5 cm. Topped it up, put the foam ring on and closed the lid.

 

 

The whole thing took 5 or 10 minutes. Ended up using 1.6 kg of activated carbon.

[Rhubarb & Flustered]

Did you use a drill (minus bit) on hammer setting to vibrate them in place ?

[ipju]

No, but now I did. Sandwiched the filter between 2 pieces of board and used the drill on top (hammer setting, no bit). 

They dropped 1 cm! So thanks for the tip @Rhubarb & Flustered

[Ned The Head]

I’ve got two 5 year old 150mm x 500mm mountain air carbon filters and at least one of them is starting to leak smell. 
 

It’s not possible to find the pellets in my location - or at least not cheaper than buying a new filter. 
 

Thing is I have an almost new 200mm x 1000mm mountain air filter that I don’t have a need for. 
 

Would you just empty the contents of charcoal from that filter into my old ones? Does that sounds like a workable solution? Please and thanks. 

[RUFUS HOUND]

 

On 08/11/2023 at 0:33 AM, Ned The Head said:

I’ve got two 5 year old 150mm x 500mm mountain air carbon filters and at least one of them is starting to leak smell. 
 

It’s not possible to find the pellets in my location - or at least not cheaper than buying a new filter. 
 

Thing is I have an almost new 200mm x 1000mm mountain air filter that I don’t have a need for. 
 

Would you just empty the contents of charcoal from that filter into my old ones? Does that sounds like a workable solution? Please and thanks. 

yes mate that would work a treat , you might even have enough left over for the other filter.

 

Tip 1. dont do it indoors, the carbon particles get everywhere no mater how careful you are 

Tip 2. vibrate it to compact the carbon and top up after or it will let smells by without it passing through/over the carbon.

hammer drill or a multi tool rubbed all over the exterior does the trick if you have one.